Free Compendium by Alia Luria

but this was the first sustained sound of the forest she had encountered since her arrival yesterday.
    Her muscles relaxed a little at the sound, and even that slight reduction in stress was a welcome feeling. In the large branch at the center of the room stood a carved hearth that warmed the space and heated a sizable iron cauldron of something that smelled of meat and spices. The fragrance wafting from the center of the room drew her toward it—a harmony in concert with the humming tree.
    “Do they actually cook meals here?” she asked Cedar.
    “Oh, no, this hearth is much too weak for that. I expect it’s pretty far from the elder roots. We use it to keep the meals warm for serving, though. Someone always brings the provisions up from the kitchen. Only certain trusted clerics even know where the kitchen is located.” He gave her a wicked grin. “I expect they want to prevent midnight snacking among the acolytes. Some of us are still growing boys, you know?”
    Mia ignored his joke. “Who assigns the duties?”
    “Well, the Taskmaster does,” he said with a shrug and made his way toward the hearth.
    She raised an eyebrow. “They actually have a position called the Taskmaster?”
    “What’s so odd about that?” he asked.
    Mia shook her head, brushing off his remark. “What are your duties then? It doesn’t appear as if you do anything but travel off the grounds on special business and act as a tour guide for wretched new recruits.” Mia tried to prevent it, but the last word came out sounding sardonic.
    “Yes, well, I was the only one who volunteered to show you the ropes, so I got a reprieve from my normal duties,” he replied. “I’m usually assigned to an engineering team.”
    When they reached the center of the room, Cedar grabbed a bowl and spoon from a table to the left of the hearth. He swirled a wooden serving spoon in the cauldron then ladled himself a hearty portion of a brown stew. He topped the stew with a scoop of rice from a wide carved bowl atop a separate table on the right side of the hearth. Mia followed suit.
    “I thought you said you didn’t know firsthand the exact location of the elder trees,” she pressed, as she ladled herself heaping servings.
    “I don’t,” he replied.
    Cedar picked out a spot at a table nearby. They sat alone. It didn’t appear as if the clerics and acolytes took the midday meal simultaneously, as many of the tables were empty. Mia spotted a small gathering of faces she recognized at a table across from the hearth, all acolytes. They whispered among themselves and averted their eyes when they saw her watching. Mia turned her head and saw Brother SainClair on the other side of the room, taking his meal with some of the other clerics. He sneered derisively when he caught her looking in his direction. She turned her attention back to Cedar.
    “So how is it that you work in engineering?” she asked.
    “Oh, well, there are many access levels in engineering. I focus on the tunnels primarily. Along our walking corridors, we have a parallel network of tunnels where the roots run. Given the delicacy of stretching the roots as far as we do, they’re often in need of repair or support. It’s only grown harder to maintain, as our numbers have dwindled and our elders aged.”
    “I see,” Mia said through a mouthful of stew.
    “Well, at least you like the food,” Cedar said, and chuckled.
    “’Tis not half bad,” Mia said reluctantly. “And I didn’t even have to cook it.”
    “Well, you might have to yet. You’ll have to see where the Taskmaster assigns you.”
     
     

 
    9 End & Begin
    Lumin Cycle 9551
     
    Melia Kannon massaged her knuckles against the hard wood of the chair’s armrest in an attempt to alleviate the stiffness in her fingers. The Compound of the Order was cold, and time hadn’t been kind to her joints. She sat for a long while, looking at the volumes in the Archives, the dim light of the portable gourd throwing the table it sat on